A Monday Morning with Plenty of Reasons to Celebrate

German pop music set the mood on Monday morning as the school community gathered on the basketball court for the first assembly of the still-young school year. More parents than usual also joined us, creating a lively and welcoming start to the new week together with our students and staff.

“Today, we have several reasons to celebrate,” Headmaster Rainer Kropp-Kurta told the school community – and there was indeed plenty on the programme.

We began by celebrating all the birthday children from the summer holidays and the first week of school. The whole school community sang for them and gave them a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.

Next came the award ceremony for our “GISA Kids Prediction Game”. During the Football World Cup, our students had enthusiastically predicted match results – and, in terms of points, even managed to outperform the adults. David finished in third place and received a Spain jersey, Amir came second and chose Brazil, while winner Matt opted for a France shirt.

Teacher Ve Friedrich then turned the focus to an important activity beyond the classroom: the Beach Cleanup Day on Saturday, 19 September 2026. Together with Mayekoo, GISA will take action at Ananse Beach in Nungua to help keep the beach clean and protect the environment. The event is not only about collecting waste, but also about raising awareness of marine and coastal protection, sustainability and community engagement.

The highlight of the assembly was the presentation of the Cambridge certificates. All students in the most recent cohort successfully passed their Cambridge Checkpoint Assessments. We were especially pleased that, in our second round of assessments, GISA’s overall results were above the Cambridge Schools average. At the same time, the individual results highlight different strengths and areas for further development and provide an important basis for continuing to support each student’s learning.

Such success also depends on careful preparation and reliable organisation. Clemencia Mayoga therefore thanked Bernard Mensah and Ralph Werner for their commitment and support throughout the Cambridge examination process. Headmaster Rainer Kropp-Kurta then gave special recognition to Clemencia Mayoga for her outstanding dedication in preparing, coordinating and organising the entire process.

The students themselves also had their say: speaking on behalf of the candidates, Rudatu thanked the teachers for their guidance and support throughout the preparation and examination period.

The first assembly of the school year was therefore much more than just a shared start to the week. It was a morning of congratulations, applause and recognition – and a reminder of what school community is all about: learning together, taking responsibility and celebrating success together.